After Confederate General Lee had taken Harper's Ferry, President Lincoln, realising how great a calamity it was to the Northern army, determined, if possible, to fix the responsibility. Generals Halleck, Schenck, Milroy, and Hooker were called in succession into his presence, but they all disclaimed any responsibility.
Then Lincoln assembled the four in his room, and said, "Gentlemen, Harper's Ferry was surrendered, and none of you, it seems, is responsible. I am very anxious to discover who is." After striding across the room several times, he suddenly threw up his bowed head and exclaimed, "I have it! I know who is responsible."
"Who, Mr President, who is it?" inquired the quartet.
"Gentlemen," said Lincoln, "General Lee is the man."
南部邦聯的李將軍攻佔哈珀斯費里之後，林肯總統知道那是對北軍的一大打擊，決定盡可能找出戰爭失利的責任誰屬。他把哈勒克、申克、米爾羅伊、胡克四位將領先後叫到跟前，但他們都說責不在己。
林肯於是把四人都叫到他房間裏，說道：「各位，哈珀斯費里陷落了，而責任似乎都不在你們身上。我真想知道誰人應該負責。」他低着頭，在房間裏大步來回，走了幾遍，忽然擡起頭來說：「我知道了，我知道誰人要負責了。」
那四位將領問道：「是誰，總統先生？」
林肯說：「各位，要負責的那個人，就是李將軍。」